Tag Archives: sweet

Welcome Change- Bitter and Sweet

13 Oct

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Life is so unpredictable! One day everything is well and the next second your life spins 180 degrees and you end up in a completely new, unfamiliar, and scary position. And have to live and see life through a different angle.

It all started a little over a month ago when what I thought I had muscle soreness from exercisizing a lot on a daily basis( vinyasa yoga, pilates, boot camp, running, biking). There was no amount of Tiger Balm, Icy Hot or Capsaicin that would make my pain go away and I ended up at the Emergency Room.

It turns out apparently I have Costochondrial Separation, what pretty much means my cartilage separated and unattached from my rib bones! Ouch! Rest, rib brace, and NO exercise or lifting of any kind allowed…up to 6 months to fully recover. Apparently this injury is common in atlethes that play tennis, golf or martial arts.

Didn’t even know such thing was possible!

I was having a hard time finding an specialist and in so much pain.

And then my beloved grandma, my Piccolla Nona, ended up in the hospital close to death in Brazil, for the third time this year.

So I didn’t think twice and hopped in a plane the next day to come and be with her. I should’t say hopped, it was more like I had Special Assistance to fly here, wheel chair and all. And I realized how hard is the life of a disabled person.

I started to see everything differently. All the little beautiful parts of our bodies that we take for granted. They all have their very important role , and I am so blessed and grateful for being healthy.

And how important it is to let go of all resentment and forgive those who we love today, because we don’t know how much longer they/us will be here. You see, my grandmother and I had a disagreement a while ago and were not really talking much for the past couple of years.

Anyways, I am here, in Brazil now, spending time with my grandma everyday, and it just feells like nothing ever happened between us, love is so much stronger than anything else!

And I am going to doctors, doing all kinds of exams to figure out what I have and which treatment I should follow.

I wanted to share this because I can say this past month has changed me enormously. It made me see life in a completely different way.

I am not going to say or do tomorrow what I can say or do today.

I am thankful for everything I am and all the people that are part of my life.

I welcome change. Buddishm calls it it Impermanence – all things change, life changes continously.

Just like a song by brazilian 80’s rock band Legiao Urbana says ” E preciso amar as pessoas como se nao houvesse amanha. Porque se voce parar pra pensar, na verdade nao ha.” Or – We need to love people as if there would be no tomorrow. Because if you stop and think, in reality, there is no tomorrow.

I would like to end this very serious and reflective post with a quote by Pema Chodron on Impermanence:

” That nothing is static or fixed, that all is fleeting and impermanent, it is the first mark of existence. It is the ordinary state of affairs. Everything is in process. Everything -every tree, every blade of grass, all the animals, insects, human beings, buildings, the animate and the inanimate – is always changing, moment to moment. “

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Meyer Lemon Blueberry Muffins

26 Sep


I had some blueberries and Meyer lemons in my fridge, and wasn’t sure what to do with them. Yesterday’s gray and chilly first day of fall gave me the perfect idea to say goodbye to summer. These muffins are packed with blueberries and not too sweet. Those who like a muffin that is more like a breakfast muffin and less like a sweet dessert cupcake, are going to loooove this recipe. Bom Apetite!

Baking time: 25 to 35 minutes at 375 F

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup vanilla sugar*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 /2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter melted

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

Grated zest and juice of 1 meyer lemon**

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries ***

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line 12 large muffin pan with paper liners,and  spray them lightly with vegetable oil spray.

Sift and combine together the flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Have all your ingredients at room temperature (except if using frozen blueberries). Whisk together the butter, eggs, milk, meyer lemon zest, and lemon juice in a separate bowl until well combined. Make sure the butter is not hot, or it will cook the eggs.

Place 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse several times until coarsely chopped. If you do not have a processor you can use a knife. Stir the chopped berries into the egg mixture.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and stir just until the dry ingredients are moist and blended. Do not over mix. Fold in the remaining whole blueberries.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan with a spoon or a large ice cream scoop until the batter comes to the top of the paper liner or pan.

Sprinkle the top with raw sugar.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, at 375 F until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Turn the muffins out of the pan and serve immediately.

If you prefer your muffins sweeter you can add 3 tablespoons of honey to the batter.

NOTES

* Vanilla Sugar: Make your own vanilla sugar by using the vanilla beans you used for a previous recipe. After you seen the beans, rinse them under cold running water, making sure they completely clean. Let them air dry on top of a cloth or paper towel. Add the vanilla beans to a sugar container, close it and let the flavors combine for about two weeks.

** Meyer Lemon: Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons. You can substitute it for regular lemons, but if you like your muffins on the sweeter side you can add 3 tablespoons of honey. Or you can use oranges.

***Blueberries : If using frozen blueberries, use them while they are still frozen; it helps hold the shape of the muffin (otherwise, the batter will become too watery).

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